Standing Rules of the United States Senate, Rule XIX
Encyclopedia
Rule XIX of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate
, established by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
, governs the subject of debate
on the Senate
floor.
and shall not proceed until he is recognized by the Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer is to recognize the Senator who shall first address him. No Senator shall interrupt another Senator in debate without his consent, and to obtain such consent he shall first address the Presiding Officer, and no Senator shall speak more than twice upon any one question in debate on the same legislative day without leave of the Senate, which shall be determined without debate.
.
or at the request of any other Senator, call that Senator to order. When a Senator shall be called to order he shall take his seat. That Senator may not proceed without leave of the Senate. If granted, that Senator shall be upon motion that he be allowed to proceed in order, which motion shall be determined without debate. Any Senator directed by the Presiding Officer to take his seat and/or any Senator requesting the Presiding Officer to require a Senator to take his seat, may appeal
from the ruling of the Chair, which appeal shall be open to debate.
.
"shall be entitled to address the Senate upon appropriate notice to the Presiding Officer who shall thereupon make the necessary arrangements."
Standing Rules of the United States Senate
The Standing Rules of the Senate are the rules of order adopted by the United States Senate that govern its procedure. The Senate's power to establish rules derives from Article One, Section 5 of the United States Constitution: "Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings..."There are...
, established by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration is responsible for the rules of the United States Senate, with administration of congressional buildings, and with credentials and qualifications of members of the Senate, including responsibility for dealing with contested elections.The committee...
, governs the subject of debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
on the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
floor.
Permission to speak
Paragraph 1a addresses the procedure on speaking. When a Senator wishes to speak, he is required to rise and address the Presiding OfficerPresiding Officer of the United States Senate
The Presiding Officer is the person who presides over the United States Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents...
and shall not proceed until he is recognized by the Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer is to recognize the Senator who shall first address him. No Senator shall interrupt another Senator in debate without his consent, and to obtain such consent he shall first address the Presiding Officer, and no Senator shall speak more than twice upon any one question in debate on the same legislative day without leave of the Senate, which shall be determined without debate.
Conclusion of business
Paragraph 1b states that at "conclusion of the morning hour at the beginning of a new legislative day or after the unfinished business or any pending business has first been laid before the Senate on any calendar day, and until after the duration of three hours of actual session after such business is laid down except as determined to the contrary by unanimous consent or on motion without debate, all debate shall be germane and confined to the specific question then pending before the Senate."Senatorial behavior related to debate
Paragraph 2 states no Senator in debate shall impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy by any Senator form of words, directly or indirectly or unbecoming a Senator.Offensive language
Paragraph 3 states no Senator in debate shall refer offensively to any State of the UnionState of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
.
Transgressions during a session
Paragraph 4 states if any Senator whether speaking or otherwise, transgresses the rules of the Senate and in the Presiding Officer's opinion, that officer shall, either on his own motionMotion (democracy)
A motion is a formal step to introduce a matter for consideration by a group. It is a common concept in the procedure of trade unions, students' unions, corporations, and other deliberative assemblies...
or at the request of any other Senator, call that Senator to order. When a Senator shall be called to order he shall take his seat. That Senator may not proceed without leave of the Senate. If granted, that Senator shall be upon motion that he be allowed to proceed in order, which motion shall be determined without debate. Any Senator directed by the Presiding Officer to take his seat and/or any Senator requesting the Presiding Officer to require a Senator to take his seat, may appeal
Appeal (motion)
In parliamentary procedure, an appeal from the decision of the chair is used to challenge a ruling of the chair.-Explanation and Use:George Demeter notes that it "protects the assembly against the arbitrary control of the meeting by its presiding officer." The most common occasions for the motion...
from the ruling of the Chair, which appeal shall be open to debate.
Recording debate
Paragraph 5 states if a Senator is called to order for words spoken in debate, on the demand of the Senator or of any other Senator, the exceptionable words shall be taken down in writing, and read at the table for the information of the Senate.Interruptions
Paragraph 6 states that whenever confusion, demonstrations pro or con takes place in the Chamber or the galleries, it shall be the duty of the Chair to enforce order on his own initiative and without suggestion or order by a Senator.Inappropriate recognition
Paragraph 7 states that no Senator shall introduce or bring to the attention of the Senate (during its sessions), any person in the Senate galleries. That no motion be made to suspend this rule will be in order. The Presiding Officer may not entertain any request to suspend it by unanimous consentUnanimous consent
In parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system, leave of the house, is a situation in which no one present objects to a proposal. The chair may state, for instance: "If there is no objection, the motion...
.
Address by former Presidents
Paragraph 8 states that any former President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
"shall be entitled to address the Senate upon appropriate notice to the Presiding Officer who shall thereupon make the necessary arrangements."
Sources
- [ United States Senate: U.S. Senate Rule XIX]
- [ Rules of The United States Senate]